Hight School Teacher Busted For Drugs.

[signal]

      I know one of the men who were arrested in this drug
bust. His mother did not know about his involvement. His
brothers did not know. How was BPS supposed to know
about something happening in another state?
      If you want to change the rules for suspending an
employee with pay, it will go far beyond public school
teachers. It will also affect policemen, firemen, postal
workers, faculty and staff at state colleges, members
of the armed forces, public transportation employees,
government office workers, park rangers, and even
people like our township clerk and our township
administrator.
      The rules for suspending someone with pay are
more than 50 years old. They are based on the belief
that you are entitled to your pay until you are fired for
cause. Until you are found guilty of misconduct that
results in termination, you continue to be paid.
       If Richard Nixon had not resigned, Congress
would have impeached him and then convicted him
of "high crimes and misdemeanors". He would have
been removed from office. Please note, however, that
Congress would not have docked his pay dating back to
the Watergate Burglary.

[Time to talk]

Randy Sehl, I want to thank you and the other keystone cop for doing a wonderful job considering you are understaffed. Just joking about the keystone cop thing. And also thanks for speaking up here clarifying what  and who all you are responsible for.

 I want to also say that BPS did their due diligence when hiring the teacher. That is my opinion. We have children involved. They will not just hire someone who walks in off the street just because there is a job opening.

No I do not think she should be paid but she also has a contract with the schools and of course a big union behind her. Maybe this will cause BPS and other schools to consider the need for an additional clause in the contracts.

[randysehl]

Randy Sehl, I want to thank you and the other keystone cop for doing a wonderful job considering you are understaffed. Just joking about the keystone cop thing. And also thanks for speaking up here clarifying what  and who all you are responsible for.

 I want to also say that BPS did their due diligence when hiring the teacher. That is my opinion. We have children involved. They will not just hire someone who walks in off the street just because there is a job opening.

No I do not think she should be paid but she also has a contract with the schools and of course a big union behind her. Maybe this will cause BPS and other schools to consider the need for an additional clause in the contracts.

Thank you for your support Time-to-Talk.

Keystone #2 Haha

[Time to talk]

Randy, I am not joking. I really appreciate your statements. I do not have kids in the school systems so I would not know all the criteria of your job at the schools. I loved the article in the Bedford Now, I believe it was last week about you guys and a program that was put on. So just another word of thanks for being there for our kids.

[randysehl]

Time-to-Talk,

 It was a sincere thank you, I was just laughing "with you" about the whole Keystone cop thing.

I understand that most people do not have an idea what a school resource officer does at school everyday.  Some might think that the school must have a problem if we have two "cops" there.  On the contrary, Bedford Schools are extremely safe and have been recognized for being a leader among Monroe County Schools with their safety initiatives.  I would invite anyone to spend some time with us on any given day.  You would be surprised at what we do each and every day. Both Deputy Krupp and I have been assigned to Bedford Schools for over 6 years, so I believe we have a pretty good handle on the situation there.  Our normal work day consists of traffic and parking control and enforcement before and/or after school, safety and security checks at the district's six school buildings daily, teaching over 30 different safety programs to students of all grade levels (i.e; Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, D.A.R.E., H.O.T., T.E.A.M., Eddie Eagle, Anti-Bullying, Team-Building, Project Partners and Safety Vehicle Day just to name a few) throughout the school year, assisting school administrators with discipline or truancy issues and counseling students daily.  We also work with parents and families with conflict and help them towards a peaceful resolution.  We also enforce all state laws and local ordinances, handle all criminal investigations which occur on school property (assault, theft, drug offenses, etc.) and assist with incidents that occur in the community.  You will find us traveling to and from different school buildings in fully marked Sheriff patrol cars provided by the Sheriff at no cost to Bedford Township or BPS.  This benefits the township with an added police presence.  You will see us at many after-school events or games, at which we are often volunteering our own time.  If we have any down time during the day, we will be in the hallways or the cafeteria talking to kids.  Visibility is the biggest deterrent to bad choices.  I believe that is why the BSP CARES group was formed by volunteer parents to help raise money to keep both officers in the schools.  These parents recognize that despite the added expense of a second officer working in Bedford Public Schools - they want it - as you cannot put a price on children's safety.   FYI, the school district pays 67% of the salary and benefit cost of the deputies to have them for 100% of the school year.  For non-school times of the year such as; summer break, school holiday vacation breaks, snow days, etc. the school resource officers report back to the Sheriff's Office for patrol duties as sheriff deputies.  So that's the job of an SRO (school resource officer) in a nutshell. 

[Time to talk]

Thanks Randy for your broadened description of what you guys do at our schools. Very informative.

[Hondo]

Time-to-Talk,

 It was a sincere thank you, I was just laughing "with you" about the whole Keystone cop thing.

I understand that most people do not have an idea what a school resource officer does at school everyday.  Some might think that the school must have a problem if we have two "cops" there.  On the contrary, Bedford Schools are extremely safe and have been recognized for being a leader among Monroe County Schools with their safety initiatives.  I would invite anyone to spend some time with us on any given day.  You would be surprised at what we do each and every day. Both Deputy Krupp and I have been assigned to Bedford Schools for over 6 years, so I believe we have a pretty good handle on the situation there.  Our normal work day consists of traffic and parking control and enforcement before and/or after school, safety and security checks at the district's six school buildings daily, teaching over 30 different safety programs to students of all grade levels (i.e; Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, D.A.R.E., H.O.T., T.E.A.M., Eddie Eagle, Anti-Bullying, Team-Building, Project Partners and Safety Vehicle Day just to name a few) throughout the school year, assisting school administrators with discipline or truancy issues and counseling students daily.  We also work with parents and families with conflict and help them towards a peaceful resolution.  We also enforce all state laws and local ordinances, handle all criminal investigations which occur on school property (assault, theft, drug offenses, etc.) and assist with incidents that occur in the community.  You will find us traveling to and from different school buildings in fully marked Sheriff patrol cars provided by the Sheriff at no cost to Bedford Township or BPS.  This benefits the township with an added police presence.  You will see us at many after-school events or games, at which we are often volunteering our own time.  If we have any down time during the day, we will be in the hallways or the cafeteria talking to kids.  Visibility is the biggest deterrent to bad choices.  I believe that is why the BSP CARES group was formed by volunteer parents to help raise money to keep both officers in the schools.  These parents recognize that despite the added expense of a second officer working in Bedford Public Schools - they want it - as you cannot put a price on children's safety.   FYI, the school district pays 67% of the salary and benefit cost of the deputies to have them for 100% of the school year.  For non-school times of the year such as; summer break, school holiday vacation breaks, snow days, etc. the school resource officers report back to the Sheriff's Office for patrol duties as sheriff deputies.  So that's the job of an SRO (school resource officer) in a nutshell.

Randy;

No offense, but it sounds like most of what you do could be done by staff personnel and not a deputy Sheriff.  Also, doesn't Monroe County have "special" deputies"?  Those that do not have the full authority of a licensed deputy Sheriff, but are still in uniform (unarmed of course).  I recall, at one time, we did and that they were generally younger adults who volunteered.  I know it's difficult to measure deterrence, but is there anything that actually backs up the claim that having officers in the schools deters criminal behavior?  I can't imagine that too much criminal behavior happens during school.  There's been debate that most programs (like DARE) do not have any measurable benefits.  Can you shed some light on this?

I just wonder if we would be better served if you were patrolling the county.  You could also respond to the schools when needed.

[StopTheBurning]

All good points.  I don't really know what goes on in the schools but know this Randy better than the one in the HS.  I think he earns the respect from all the kids, well almost all because there will be some punks that don't respect anybody.  I am sure he is able to convince some kids that it's better to be good citizens than trouble makers.  Yeah, it would be nice to have him on the streets to because we need good cops like Randy everywhere.

[bedford wife]

Here are a few of the reasons I feel that having School Liason Officers is so vital.

1.  They keep our entire community safer by being in a position to be proactive in crime prevention.  Understand this, with the current cuts in the amount of law enforcement personnel on duty at any given time, our officers(out of the substation) can only be reactive.  Responding to crime that has already happened and has victims!  The school officer finds out about things that are going to happen through the relationships and trust he builds with the kids....this keeps quite a few issues out of our community at large.

2.  G-d forbid we ever have a school shooting or anything of that nature...having these officers assigned to our schools means that we have a first responder on the scene.  I can't emphasize how important that is.  None of our schools are exactly like the blueprints say they are....those two officers know how to get to point "A" in the quickest manner possible.  Also, they can give the other responders an accurate assessment of what type reinforcement will be needed....this saves time and potentially lives.

3.  Like it or not, this community, this whole county, has a huge drug problem. I think the two officers keep alot of the problems that surround that drug issue out of our schools.  By being the "Blue Line" they keep our kids safer.

4.  Because of the presence of the two officers, and the knowledge of how quickly they'd become involved in an issue...many kids make the decision not to engage in the "bone head" behavior. 

One of the high schools in Toledo just had a child attacked in the school by gang members who were adults.  Lemme tell you....that could be our school.  One of the things that makes this community so good is the fact we have this extra level of law enforcement....Do you really think that our two road patrols could handle all of this....and I haven't even addressed the education the two SRO's are involved in. 

[randysehl]

Randy;

No offense, but it sounds like most of what you do could be done by staff personnel and not a deputy Sheriff.  Also, doesn't Monroe County have "special" deputies"?  Those that do not have the full authority of a licensed deputy Sheriff, but are still in uniform (unarmed of course).  I recall, at one time, we did and that they were generally younger adults who volunteered.  I know it's difficult to measure deterrence, but is there anything that actually backs up the claim that having officers in the schools deters criminal behavior?  I can't imagine that too much criminal behavior happens during school.  There's been debate that most programs (like DARE) do not have any measurable benefits.  Can you shed some light on this?

I just wonder if we would be better served if you were patrolling the county.  You could also respond to the schools when needed.

Hondo I will try to answer your questions the best I can.  The Sheriff's Department no longer has "Special Deputies" but rather "Reserve Deputies."  Reserves are non-sworn, non-certified volunteer officers who assist the Sheriff's Office at special events, parades, and they are permitted to ride-a-long with a full time deputy on patrol. A reserve deputy has limited police authority and they can only use that authority when working in conjunction with (along side) a full time deputy sheriff.  They could never be allowed to work in schools.  Mostly because they lack the training, which brings me to your next question.  The DARE program, is funded with drug enforcement dollars and MUST be taught by a certified police officer.  I would imagine that the other programs that we teach could be instructed by someone else - but it wasn't done before we were working in the schools and I doubt that it would happen if we were not there.  The DARE program is only one part of a collaborative effort between law enforcement, parents and school to give students the information to make healthy choices.  The DARE program is not just about tobacco, alcohol and drugs, it also encompasses a process to make a good decision no matter what the choice or problem is.  The program also emphasizes responsibility, team-work, self-esteem and standing up for what is right.  Tips in dealing with bullying situations is also addressed.   You asked if it can be measured for success.  That's tough.  But I will say that we provide the student with the information to be successful and drug-free, but the choice remains with the student.  But law enforcement joins parents and educators in trying to do our part.  The Bedford School liaison officers handled over 600 calls-for-service within the school last year, almost an average of 3 per day.  Not every one of those situations was a crime, but trust me we do have incidents in school that require police intervention.  With the County's Zero Tolerance for fighting, weapons and drugs in schools - unfortunately a few students are arrested each year.  This is not the norm nor is it the most enjoyable part of our job, but we have to do it to help keep our schools safe.

If the 2nd liaison position is eliminated at school, we will not "gain" a deputy on patrol.  I will report back to patrol, but our lowest seniority deputy will be laid off.  So it's a wash. 

Hondo I imagine your thoughts are geared towards cutting the position to possibly save money?  I respect your opinion.  However the $160,000 that the district spends to have two officers policing 6 buildings, 300 staff members and nearly 5000 kids is an extremely small portion of the overall school budget.  Many people believe it is money well spent.     
 

[KeepItPositive]

http://www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying/strategies/strategy-assigning-resource-officers-to-schools

The National Crime Prevention Council believes having a uniformed officer presence in high schools and middle schools prevents violence and curbs bullying and criminal behavior. 

[a2zaw4]

Time for me to say a few words, as a lifelong resident of Bedford, I have had the great pleasure of walking the halls of Bedford Public, had the pleasure of driving the Celebrity (Drivers ED) back then it was free to take driver's education. The only police we had was Mr Hall, and the occasional visit from Cal Carey driving his assigned Fury, the dodge sedan that they drove back then. Then a few years later Mr Bell passed away, then the board of ED decided that they needed to entertain the idea of having school resource officers. Here it is 2012 and we need school resources officer(s) now more than ever. We don't need the limos that transport the kids. We need the teachers, and resource OFFICERS, they work together and make the school SYSTEM that much stronger. As of late it seems the board of education would rather cut books, teachers, school resource officers and keep those limo's. Excuse I have heard well there are no sidewalks, well so what! My parents walked to school back in the 50's and I am pretty sure there were NO sidewalks...

My dad is a LEO, so I know what a school resource officer goes through, it is a job that is non stop, more petty things than the stolen or murder investigation! Communications with the neighboring jurisdictions make the job a lot easier, the recent issue with the teacher being charged with drugs, Well If it happened in front of Randy or even in Michigan he could have done something about it, but because it took place in OHIO, if the board thinks the district can get away with one officer, then they need to review which assistant principle both at Jr and Sr High and give that person a red slip. Okay I can hear the argument if we had SRO in EVERY BUILDING, but we don't we have two for the entire district.

[randysehl]

Thanks for sharing your reasons for support A2zaw4.  And for those that don't know what "LEO" meant in the last post, it stands for Law Enforcement Officer.

[a2zaw4]

Toledo Blade has just reported that the teacher has been indicted. Her Career at Bedford has ended.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2012/10/31/6-indicted-on-mushroom-drug-charges.html

[bedford wife]

She may have been indicted but she hasn't been convicted.  She'll probably stay on paid leave and only be let go if she is convicted.  I still feel bad for her students, she was well liked and they have to feel betrayed.  On another thread there were many students speaking up on her behalf.